U.S. patent number 8,385,616 [Application Number 12/422,405] was granted by the patent office on 2013-02-26 for system for assisting preparation of medical-image reading reports.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation. The grantee listed for this patent is Hikaru Futami, Kenichi Niwa. Invention is credited to Hikaru Futami, Kenichi Niwa.
United States Patent |
8,385,616 |
Futami , et al. |
February 26, 2013 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
System for assisting preparation of medical-image reading
reports
Abstract
A report-data collecting unit retrieves and collects a character
string in accordance with the prescribed character-string retrieval
condition and the character string of annotation data. An image
data display unit displays the character string and a list showing
a medical image referred to while the object is being photographed.
When the user selects the character string by designating the
medical image shown in the list, both the character string and the
medical image are associated by an image-data acquisition/process
unit and then pasted at a prescribed position in a medical-image
reading report preparation screen. Further, the data representing
the medical image thus pasted is archived in an image database.
Inventors: |
Futami; Hikaru (Otawara,
JP), Niwa; Kenichi (Otawara, JP) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Futami; Hikaru
Niwa; Kenichi |
Otawara
Otawara |
N/A
N/A |
JP
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
(Toyko, JP)
Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Otawara-shi,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
41201134 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/422,405 |
Filed: |
April 13, 2009 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20090262995 A1 |
Oct 22, 2009 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2008 [JP] |
|
|
2008-109322 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
382/128 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G16H
30/20 (20180101); G16H 30/40 (20180101); G16H
15/00 (20180101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06K
9/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;382/128,236
;600/407 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Ha; Nathan
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier
& Neustadt, L.L.P.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for assisting preparation of medical-image reading
reports, comprising: a medical-image storage unit archiving
medical-image data; a medical-image reading report storage unit
archiving a medical-image reading report; a collection unit
configured to collect a character string of annotation data
contained in the medical-image data or a character string
associated with the medical image in the medical-image reading
report, or both, from the medical-image storage unit or the
medical-image reading report storage unit, or from both; a display
unit configured to display the medical-image reading report or a
reference image, or both, on a display screen; a display control
unit configured to cause the display unit to display, at the same
time, the medical image referred to while diagnostic reading and a
list showing the character string; a selection unit configured to
restrict the selection of the character string collected; an
association unit configured to cause the selection unit to select a
desired character string from the list, thereby associating the
character string selected with the medical image; an input unit
configured to insert the character string and the medical image
associated to each other by the association unit, at a prescribed
position on a report preparation screen, thereby preparing the
medical-image reading report; and a data archiving unit configured
to archive the image data representing the medical image associated
with the character string inserted.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the collection unit
retrieves and collects a character string associated with a
specific condition, in accordance with specific related data.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display control
unit changes the character string shown in the list, in accordance
with an attribute of the reference image being displayed, in order
to associate the reference image and the character string with each
other, both displayed by the display unit.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display control
unit causes the display unit to display, in the list, only the
image associated with the character string.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein while the display unit
is displaying the medical image associated with the character
string collected, the display control unit causes the display unit
to display the character train in the medical image.
6. A system for assisting preparation of medical-image reading
reports, comprising: a medical-image storage unit archiving
medical-image data; a medical-image reading report storage unit
archiving a medical-image reading report; a collection unit
configured to collect, under a specific condition, a character
string of annotation data contained in the medical-image data or a
character string associated with the medical image in the
medical-image reading report, or both, from the medical-image
storage unit or the medical-image reading report storage unit, or
from both; a display unit configured to display a medical image of
an object, a medical-image reading report about the medical image,
and the character string collected by the collection unit; a
selection unit configured to select a desired character string from
the character string displayed by the display unit; and an edition
unit configured to input the character string selected, to the
medical-image reading report displayed by the display unit and to
associate the medical-image reading report with the character
string input.
7. The system according to claim 6, wherein a specific condition is
determined by attribute data about the medical image currently
being displayed.
8. A medical-image reading report generating apparatus, comprising:
a collection unit configured to collect character strings of
annotation data contained in medical-image data stored in a
medical-image storage unit, or character strings associated with a
medical image in a medical-image reading report, from the
medical-image storage unit or a medical-image reading report
storage unit; and a report-data display designation unit configured
to associate one of the collected character strings desired by a
user, with a reference medical image, and to attach the associated
character string and the reference medical image to a preset
portion of a medical-image reading report generating image.
9. A medical-image reading report generating apparatus, comprising:
a collection unit configured to collect character strings of
annotation data contained in a medical image, or character strings
associated with the medical image in a medical-image reading
report, from a medical-image storage unit or a medical-image
reading report storage unit; a selection unit configured to select
one of the character strings desired by a user; and a report-data
display designation unit configured to input the selected character
string to the medical-image reading report and associate the
selected character string with a reference medical image on a
display screen.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority
from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-109322, filed Apr.
18, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical information system. More
particularly, the invention relates to a system for assisting
preparation of medical-image reading reports, for use in
medical-image diagnosis workstations and image-diagnosis report
preparation systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
To date, systems such as a medical-image diagnosis apparatus, a
medical-image archiving apparatus, a medical-image diagnosis
workstation, and an image-diagnosis report preparation system have
been used. In such systems, reports are prepared as is known in the
art. Each report consists of several medical images (key images)
and text-data items (character strings), each associated with one
medical image (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication
No. 2005-301453).
Any user of the system can prepare and archive a report that
consists of, as described above, text items and medical images
associated with the respective images. However, it takes the user
much time and labor to prepare a report, because he or she needs to
input text-data items and associate each text-data item with the
corresponding medical image.
More specifically, the user must i) input a text-data item even if
he or she has input it before, ii) paste a key image again, if
necessary, to the text-data item thus input, and iii) correct, if
necessary, the text-data item to which the image has been pasted.
Inputting the text-data item again lowers the efficiency of
preparing the report. Pasting the key image again to the text-data
item reduces the efficiency of reading images. Correcting the
text-data items having a key image pasted to it requires
complicated manual work.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a system for
assisting preparation of medical-image reading reports, which can
collect text-data items to which key images should be pasted and
images associated with these text-data items, can manage the
text-data items and the images, thus collected, and can easily
acquire a key-image/text-data candidate containing key-image data,
whenever necessary.
A system for assisting preparation of medical-image reading
reports, according to this invention, comprises: a medical-image
storage unit archiving medical-image data; a medical-image reading
report storage unit archiving a medical-image reading report; a
collection unit configured to collect a character string of
annotation data contained in the medical-image data or a character
string associated with the medical image in the medical-image
reading report, or both, from the medical-image storage unit or the
medical-image reading report storage unit, or from both; a display
unit configured to display the medical-image reading table or a
reference image, or both, on a display screen; a display control
unit configured to cause the display unit to display, at the same
time, the medical image referred to while photographing an object
and a list showing the character string; a selection unit
configured to restrict the selection of the character string
collected; an association unit configured to cause the selection
unit to select a desired character string from the list, thereby
associating the character string selected with the medical image;
an input unit configured to insert the character string and the
medical image associated to each other by the association unit, at
a prescribed position on a report preparation screen, thereby
preparing the medical-image reading report; and a data archiving
unit configured to archive the image data representing the medical
image associated with the character string inserted.
Another system for assisting preparation of medical-image reading
reports, according to this invention, comprises: a medical-image
storage unit archiving medical-image data; a medical-image reading
report storage unit archiving a medical-image reading report; a
collection unit configured to collect, under a specific condition,
a character string of annotation data contained in the
medical-image data or a character string associated with the
medical image in the medical-image reading report, or both, from
the medical-image storage unit or the medical-image reading report
storage unit, or from both; a display unit configured to display an
medical image of an object, a medical-image reading report about
bout the medical image, and the character string collected by the
collection unit; a selection unit configured to select a desired
character train from the character train displayed by the display
unit; and an edition unit configured to input the character string
selected, to the medical-image reading report displayed by the
display unit and to associate the medical-image reading report with
the character string input.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set
forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious
from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be
realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and
combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute
a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the
invention, and together with the general description given above
and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve
to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a
medical data system according to an embodiment of this
invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 18
for assisting preparation of medical-image reading reports, which
is shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart explaining how the medical data system
operates to collect character strings;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing some images that a viewer 70 may
display;
FIG. 5 is a table showing examples of annotation character-string
data items collected;
FIG. 6 is a table showing examples of hyperlinked character-string
data items collected;
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing exemplary images for use in confirming
images associated with hyperlinked character strings;
FIG. 8 is a table showing the number of times the hyperlinked
character strings collected are used, each of which is displayed as
a display condition;
FIG. 9 shows an example of a character-string list displayed;
and
FIG. 10 is table showing exemplary image data items that are
contained in the respective hyperlinked character strings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a
medical data system 10 according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the medical data system 10 comprises a
medical-image photography apparatus 12, a medical-image storage
apparatus 14, a medical-image observation apparatus 16, and a
system 18 for assisting in preparation of a medical report. These
apparatuses are connected by a communication line (LAN) 20 to
communicate with each other. The medical-image photography
apparatus 12 photographs, for example, the interior of a subject
and generates image data (medical-image data). The image data
generated will be used later in preparation of a medical-image
reading report. The medical-image photography apparatus 12 is, for
example, an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus, an endoscope apparatus,
an endoscope apparatus, an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, a CT
apparatus, or an MRI apparatus. The image photographed is converted
to digital image data of the DICOM format and transmitted to the
medical-image storage apparatus 14.
The medical-image storage apparatus 14 has a medical-image data
management unit 14a, a database 14b, and an archive area 14c. In
the medical-image storage apparatus 14, the medical-image data
management unit 14a associates the medical-image data items
acquired in the medical-image photography apparatus 12, with one
another. The medical-image data items are then compressed and
stored in the database 14b and the archive area 14c. The
medical-image storage apparatus 14 thus manages the medical-image
data.
The medical-image observation apparatus 16 is configured to display
images at a display such as a CRT. Observing and examining the
images displayed, the user may diagnose the subject.
The system 18 for assisting in preparation of a medical report is
designed to assist the user to prepare medical-image reading
reports, on the basis of the medical images displayed by the
medical-image observation apparatus 16.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system
18 (FIG. 1) for assisting in preparation of a medical report.
The system 18 for assisting in preparation of a medical report is
composed mainly of a report unit 30, a server unit 40, and a viewer
unit 50.
The report unit 30 comprises a report-data display designation unit
32, a report-data preparation/registration unit 34, a report
database (DB) 36, and a report-data collection unit 38.
The report-data display designation unit 32 displays various data
items such as the report data requested for by the user, the report
data being prepared in the report-data preparation/registration
unit 34, and the data collected by the report-data collection unit
38. The report-data display designation unit 32 can output
image-display instructions required in the process of displaying
these various data items. If the user has input image-display
instructions, the report-data display designation unit 32 may
automatically output the image-display instructions selected from
the linked data of the report. Further, the report-data display
designation unit 32 can appropriately process a hyperlinked
character string, if any, transmitted from an image-data display
unit 58, which will be described later.
The report-data preparation/registration unit 34 manages the report
data being processed to prepare a medical report. Any medical
report prepared is transferred from report-data
preparation/registration unit 34 to the report database 36. The
report database 36 is a database configured to archive and manage
report data items generated in the report-data
preparation/registration unit 34. The report-data collection unit
38 is designed to collect and distribute any past report data items
that are required, and to collect character/image-linked data items
(representing the relation between character strings and images).
The report-data collection unit 38 characterizes the present
embodiment.
The server unit 40 comprises an image-data reception unit 42, a
data archiving unit 44, an image database (DB) 46, and a data
distribution unit 48 for distributing archived data.
The image-data reception unit 42 receives the image data coming
from an external modality apparatus 60. The unit 42 then
appropriately processes and archives the image data into the image
database 46 and appropriately processes and archives the data
accompanying the image data into the data archiving unit 44. The
data archiving unit 44 receives the data accompanying the image
data and associated with the image data, i.e., character strings
(including character strings associated with various data items
such as report-SINR data, key-image data, and pasted image). The
data archiving unit 44 writes or archives the character strings in
an appropriate archive area. If the archive area archiving the
character strings is deleted or changed, the data archiving unit 44
communicates with the image database 46 and corrects the data
representing the archive area. The data archiving unit 44 is
equivalent to a plurality of HDDs, NASs or the like.
The image database 46 archives and manages data that requires the
high-speed access of the data accompanying the image data received
from the image-data reception unit 42. The archived-data
distribution unit 48 collects the image requested for at any
device, and distributes the image to the device.
The viewer unit 50 mentioned above has an image-data display
instruction unit 52, an image-data acquisition unit 54, an
image-data acquisition/process unit 56, and an image data display
unit 58.
The image-data display instruction unit 52 instructs the image-data
acquisition unit 54 to collect image data in accordance with the
instruction given by the report-data display designation unit 32.
In response to the instruction coming from the image-data display
instruction unit 52, the image-data acquisition unit 54 collects
necessary image data items and supplies the image data items to the
image-data acquisition/process unit 56. The image-data acquisition
unit 54 further acquires the annotation data accompanying the
image, thus collecting the character string and the image
constituting the annotation data (also collecting the data
representing the relation between the character string and the
image).
The image-data acquisition/process unit 56 receives data items from
the image-data acquisition unit 54 and arranges these data items in
order. The data items orderly arranged are sent from the image-data
acquisition/process unit 56 to the image data display unit 58. The
image-data acquisition/process unit 56 causes the image data
display unit 58 to display only a group of images extracted and
related to the character string so that these images may be
corrected. Thus, an image related to any one of these images
displayed can be added, corrected or deleted. Further, the
image-data acquisition/process unit 56 demands for any list
processed, sending the data required for generating the character
string that should be pasted to a medical-image reading report and
for combining the character string with the image associated with
the character string, to the image data display unit 58.
The image data display unit 58 displays the image data and the list
sent from the image-data acquisition/process unit 56, in accordance
with a display instruction. Further, the image data display unit 58
supplies the report unit 30 with the data that should be
transferred, as a hyperlinked character string, to the report unit
30.
How the medical data system 10 constituted as described above
collects character strings will be explained with reference to the
flowchart of FIG. 3.
To enable the user to prepare a medical-image reading report, the
image data display unit 58 provided in the viewer unit 50 of the
system 18 displays a report preparation screen and a reference
medial image. The user operates, in most cases, a keyboard and/or a
pointing device (e.g., mouse) to input text items that should be
written in any medical-image reading report. Alternatively, the
user may select and designate any one of data items registered
beforehand, thereby to input the data item selected and
designated.
The image data display unit 58 constitutes a viewer 70, which has a
screen 72. The screen 72 shows such a medical-image reading report
as shown in FIG. 4. Character strings, i.e., comments on medical
images, which the user has input, are arranged in the dedicated
columns provided on the medical-image reading report. The
character-string data items, e.g., hyperlinked data items or
annotation data items are then collected. The report-data display
designation unit 32 links the data items collected to a specific
character string (Step S1). For example, the user moves the cursor
to the character string displayed on the report preparation screen
72, designating the character string as one to be linked. Then, the
user moves the cursor to one of the selection buttons 722 displayed
on the screen 72, thus selecting a desired mode, for example the
mode of collecting the character string designated.
At this point, whether the data about the character string
collected exists is determined (Step S2). If the data exists, the
character string is displayed in the lower part of the screen 72,
as a list 724 of an appropriate form (see FIG. 9) (Step S3). The
data of the reports made in the past are collected and distributed
by the report-data collection unit 38. The report-data collection
unit 38 also collects the character-string data (later described)
and the image data, which should be linked to each other (to record
the relation between them).
The report-data collection unit 38 manages the character strings of
the annotation data items for the medical images of the same
subject, which were photographed in the past, and the character
strings associated with the annotation data items for a plurality
of medical images examined in the past. Further, if the modality,
the examined part of the subject, and the site identical to a key
image acquired in the past are known from the specific related data
(DICOM-accompanying data, etc.) under particular conditions, the
character string concerned is collected and managed on the basis of
the photographing site.
The report-data display designation unit 32 displays the report
data requested by the user, the report data being prepared and the
character-string data collected by the report-data collection unit
38.
Thereafter, in Step S4, the annotation character string selected,
or hyperlinked character string selected, and, if necessary, the
associated image are transmitted, as a data set, to the report-data
display designation unit 32. The character string and the image,
thus hyperlinked to each other in Step S4, are pasted to a
prescribed position on the report preparation screen. This position
is one of various choices including the user has preset, the end of
a written comment and the end of the line pointed by the
cursor.
At the time of photographing an object, acquiring an image, a mark
may be put to the image associated with the above-mentioned
character string, indicating the content of the image. For example,
color, frame 746, a character string 748, or the like may be
displayed in the image associated with the character string
collected and referred to on a screen 74 shown in FIG. 4. Thus, any
hyperlinked image may be distinguished from images not
hyperlinked.
If no data about the character string collected exists (if No in
Step S2), nothing is displayed in the screen 72 (Step S5).
The sequence is thus terminated.
The report-data preparation/registration unit 34 manages the report
data being prepared, which the report-data display designation unit
32 displays. The report data completely prepared is sent to the
report database 36 and managed in the report database 36.
How the character string associated with the medical image is
displayed will be explained.
FIG. 5 shows examples of annotation character-string data items
that have been collected. Annotation character strings, such as
"Previous time" and "Pay attention!," may be displayed. The
annotation character strings are associated with conditions of "CT"
and "If examined in the past," respectively.
Similarly, FIG. 6 shows examples of hyperlinked character-string
data items collected. These data items represent character strings
"In comparison with the last CT examination result," "In comparison
with the last MR examination result," "This time, in comparison
with the last CT examination result and the penultimate MR
examination result," and so on. These character strings are
associated with the display conditions of "CT," "If examined in the
past," and "If not examined in the past," respectively.
The report-data display designation unit 32 generates a hyperlinked
character string, i.e., the collected character string linked to
the image being observed at the time of photographing the object. A
different character string may be associated with the image being
currently displayed. This is because the character string that
should be linked with the image being displayed may differ,
depending on the attribute of the image being displayed at present.
For example, any character string pertaining to an MR image is not
displayed because it need not be displayed in the process of
pasting a character string to a CT image. The condition for
displaying hyperlinked character-string data thus changes. The
character-string data may otherwise be collected in accordance with
the condition for displaying it.
FIG. 7 shows exemplary images for use in confirming images that are
associated with hyperlinked character strings. The exemplary images
are associated with such hyperlinked character strings as shown in
FIG. 5. These images are displayed, each in association with a
hyperlinked character string. Note that two images may correspond
to one hyperlinked character string. Moreover, an image can be
added, corrected or deleted if it is related to the group of images
being displayed.
FIG. 8 shows the number of times the hyperlinked character strings
collected are used, each of which is displayed as a display
condition. In this instance, the hyperlinked character strings
available are: "In comparison with the result of the last CT
examination result," "In comparison with the last MR examination
result, "In comparison with the last CT examination result and the
penultimate MR examination result," and the like. Also, the numbers
of times these character strings were used in the past are
displayed, which are "78 times," "21 times" and "10 times,"
respectively. The numbers of use times are displayed in the
descending order.
FIG. 9 shows an example of a character-string list displayed in
Step S3 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3. Items 1, 2, 3, 4, . . .
are associated, each with a character string and an image. These
data items are displayed in the descending order of the number of
uses.
The user may operate the mouse or the like, attaching a check mark
to the data item to hyperlink. Then, the desirable hyperlinked
character string and the image, if any, associated with the
hyperlinked character string are selected. In the case of the list
shown in FIG. 9, the character string of item 2 is selected.
As pointed out above, a plurality of images, not one image, may
correspond to one hyperlinked character string. Assume that there
is a hyperlinked character string of, for example, "In comparison
with this time with the past." Then, the list shows two images, one
acquired at present, and the other acquired in the past. The two
images will be hyperlinked to the character string selected if the
character string is selected. In other words, a plurality of images
may be hyperlinked to any character string that has been selected.
Alternatively, if a specific image is hyperlinked to a character
string, another specific image may be hyperlinked to the same
character string, too. If a specific image is displayed on, for
example, the screen 76, it may be hyperlinked, always to an image
acquired in the past.
FIG. 10 is table showing exemplary image data items that are
contained in the respective hyperlinked character strings. As shown
in FIG. 10, image paths are associated with respective image link
data items, respectively.
In the process of preparing a report, for example, the user is
looking at the image just acquired and displayed on the screen 74,
while writing characters in the medical-image reading report. To
hyperlink the desired image to the character string being written,
the user operates the mouse or the like, clicking the selection
button 742 displayed on the screen 74 and thereby selecting the
desired mode. Then, the list 744 of FIG. 9, which contains the
character-string data, is displayed in the lower part of the screen
72.
If the character-string data should be compared with
character-string data acquired in the past, the image now displayed
on the screen 74 and the image acquired in the past and displayed
on the screen 76 will be hyperlinked together in the medical-image
reading report.
Some images preceding an image hyperlinked to a certain character
string and some other images following this image may be preset in
order to recognize the hyperlinked image in the process of
preparing the report, so that the preceding images and the
following images may be displayed. Alternatively, only images that
can be preset as those that can be hyperlinked to a certain
character string may be read. In either case, the data about these
images are collected, by adding annotations or marks to the images,
by clicking the images or by double-clicking the images, and are
then used as candidates that may be hyperlinked to the character
string. The candidate images to hyperlink to the character string
may be displayed in a scroll bar as illustrated in FIG. 4. Further,
data pasted and edited may be fed back and input, in real time, as
a choice in the list.
Since character strings prepared beforehand are thus associated
with medical images, the character strings existing for use in
reports can be utilized. That is, these character strings can be
associated with the medical images, only if edited. This helps to
increase the efficiency in preparing medical-image reading
reports.
In the embodiment described above, the server unit comprises a data
archiving unit and an image database and a data distribution unit,
each used as data storage means for archiving medical-image data
and medical-image reading reports. Nonetheless, this invention is
not limited to this configuration. The medical-image data and the
medical-image reading reports may be archived anywhere.
The present invention has been described with reference to an
embodiment. The invention is not limited to the embodiment,
nevertheless. Various changes and modifications can, of course, be
made without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention.
Moreover, the embodiment described above pertains to various
inventions. The components of the embodiment described above may be
combined, if necessary, in appropriate ways, thereby to make
different inventions. For example, some of the component of the
embodiment may not be used or the components of the embodiment may
be combined to solve the problems stated in the "Description of the
Related Art." The advantages described in "BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE
INVENTION" may be attained even if some components are omitted,
thereby making an invention, too.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects
is not limited to the specific details and representative
embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or
scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended
claims and their equivalents.
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